In the constant argument over which on-campus dining hall reigns supreme, students at the University of Rhode Island are usually torn.
For me, the answer during my first year on campus was Butterfield. Between the burrito bar, pizza offerings and the ice cream freezer for dinners, it became a very hard dining option to beat on weeknights.
However, after moving into a different residence hall for my second year, which moved my location closer to that of Hope Commons (synonymously known as Hope or Mainfare), I began experimenting more with their offerings and was surprised by the results.
There are two reasons why Hope may stand a chance against Butterfield in the dining hall faceoff. One is their sandwich deli, and the other, the magnum opus of Hope’s food lineup: their soup station.
As students, we seem to have dismissed the humble soup from our lineup of preferred foods. Maybe it’s because it is an unsexy pick compared to pink sauce, or a burger from Astro’s. Perhaps it is that many people did not have soup growing up, and thus see it as an unfamiliar and possibly scary option. Both of these reasons in my mind are a bunch of hooey.
The Hope soup station operates similarly to the rotating Homestyle station, being that both have a menu of offerings that changes each day. Here are some of my favorites that I have tried, in no particular order:
Chicken Noodle
The humble classic, this is probably the most common offering at the station, usually being served up two to three times a week. This is for good reason, however: the broth is savory, with noticeable pieces of celery, carrots and herbs throughout, and white-meat chicken and egg noodles adorning the surface. When this is served, a rice cooker is often available for patrons to add spoonfuls of white rice to their dish, which gives it a hearty and rustic appeal. I added way too much my first time and the starch from the rice essentially turned it into a porridge, so learn from my mistakes… or don’t, if that is your thing. No judgment.
Cream of Tomato
This is the perfect accompaniment to a grilled cheese sandwich from the deli, which works out great because the two stations are directly next to each other. URI students have sworn by their “secret menu” items, which are dishes that are assembled from multiple stations from across the dining hall. This is a perfect example of that – the soup has a great creaminess to it (hence the name), with a hint of basil as well. A light, almost refreshing, pairing with a grilled cheese makes for one of the best food combinations you can find anywhere on campus.
New England Clam Chowder
Yes, I know what this sounds like – clam chowder in a college dining hall is probably the last thing you would want to eat. However, I would like to say that as we are in the Ocean State, this is probably the best place to have a dining hall clam chowder, even if the competition is questionable. That being said, I enjoyed this a lot. It fits all the requirements of a good New England chowder: big, hearty chunks of potatoes in a cream-based broth, with studs of clam meat, celery and herbs throughout. Even though it is by no means the best chowder you will find in Rhode Island (or even the southern half of the state; Matunuck Oyster Bar and George’s of Galilee both make great ones), there are worse options out there than this. If you ever find yourself craving a chowder in the middle of winter, this will certainly scratch that itch.